The Art of Shopping
by 1221bookworm
Summary: Presenting the Real ships of TLC: Iko and Clothes. A look into Iko reveling in the choice of outfits available to her.


**_A/N: TLC ShipWeeks 2018 free week Prompt #1: Band. And since we have so much time dedicated to our favorite ships (Kaider, Wolflet, Cresswell, and Jacinter), I decided to dive into the "Real" ships of TLC, (Carswell and Himself; Wolf and Tomatoes, Cress and Cake). Presenting the ship, Iko and Clothes._**

 ** _A/N 2: I am currently accepting ship names to identify our beloved one person ships_**

 ** _A/N 3: I don't own the Lunar Chronicles. Or any of it's ships, Real or otherwise._**

Iko squealed in delight at the new comm displaying itself on her port. Her favorite designer store was having a sale, and if she placed her order in the next 24 hours, free shipping was included. Not that that was free shipping to Luna. She would have to have the items delivered to Kai in New Beijing, and he would include the packages with the next diplomatic or merchant ship on their way to Luna.

It was a distressingly long delay whenever she wanted anything new. Others who purchased during this sale would be wearing their clothes for weeks before Iko would even be able to touch them.

With a sigh of longing, she scrolled through the listings, her thumb marking more of them into her favorites than not.

Not that should would actually purchase much, anyway. She did have a rather large wardrobe courtesy of Levana. But those were formal outfits not something she could wear on an everyday basis.

That's why this was her favorite designer link. They carried entire lines of sweaters, casual wear, and fashion accessories. And shoes. As far as Iko could tell, and with the speed of her processor, she had been able to seek out nearly every fashion weblink known to mankind, they carried the largest inventory of shoes. Her favorite were heels of every kind; stilettos, kitten heels, all found their way onto her extensive wish list.

Cinder found her narrowing down her choices an hour later.

"I don't get it, Iko." She shook her head as she pulled the hair tie out of her ponytail and ran her fingers through the loose hairs before gathering it back up into her usual style. "How can it be so hard to choose?"

Iko gasped in indignation. "There are over ten thousand items on sale! You're lucky I've managed to review them all already." She nodded emphatically at Cinder's skeptically raised eyebrow. "I'm just going through my five hundred favorite favorites."

Cinder laughed incredulously. "Send me the list when you're done so I can pick something off it the next time I need a gift for you."

Iko shook her head so hard her braids flew. "This is a clearance sale. They'll all be out of style by then."

Cinder rolled her eyes and took it as her cue to leave all matters fashion to Iko.

Sighing at her best friend's inability to grasp such a simple concept, Iko returned to her long list of options. She decided she needed something with a cozy appearance for when they went to visit Scarlet and Wolf for their wedding in two months. Something to protect her wiring from the cold damp air that accompanied sunsets.

Woefully, she divested her list of any items that did not fit this criteria, though the four-inch suede stilettos in bright yellow were the hardest to let go.

Her list shortened to sweaters and scarves, Iko carefully considered the pros and cons of each. Slowly, the list was whittled down to one outfit, appropriate for the occasion.

The top was just longer than tunic length (at least on the model). The neckline came all the way up to the chin in a thick cowl, accented with buttons to adjust the exact height. The knit material was ever so slightly form fitting, following curves until the slightest flare at the bottom. The matching leggings were a necessity, as it couldn't be considered a dress. And Iko felt a bit more comfortable in something that didn't display all her inner workings.

What drew Iko to the outfit most was its colorful nature. Bands of red, blue, and yellow wrapped around the tunic. Each color was separated by a smaller stripe of white of black to differentiate the larger color blocks.

Iko smiled to herself as she continued to process her order. Outfits like this meant she never had to confine herself to just one color for the day. And the boldness of the colors spoke to an adventurous spirit that wasn't afraid to take chances.

Her purchase completed, she flipped back to the description page for a final look before she got to see it in person. The style reminded her of a Second-Era artist, Piet Mondrian, who's abstract art made of blocks of color was imitated in nearly every schoolroom for its ease of creation and basic rules of mastery.

Shutting of the port, Iko stood and spun in place, already imagining herself wearing it. It would feel like wearing a work of art. She liked that idea.


End file.
